Top 25 Prospects Currently Owned

Ranked on current stats and future potential impact in fantasy with both age and level heavily considered.

1. Domonic Brown, OF, Monsters (Preseason Rank: 13) With 10 players graduating from the preseason top 25 its safe to say that the minors are at the weakest point they’ve been all season. Brown easily ascended to the rankings top spot with a huge 2010 where he hit 327 with 20 HR’s and 17 steals in only 93 games. The soon to be 23 yr old has shown that he has all the tools to develop into a big time player for both the Monster’s and the Phillies as soon as next season.

2. Jesus Montero, C, Monsters, (Preseason Rank: 2) Montero was a major player in one of the biggest trades in the NKFBL this season before almost getting traded in real life to the Mariners for Cliff Lee. After a slow start to the 2010 season Montero has really turned it on and hit 366 with 7 HR’s in AAA since the all star break.The added value of staying in Yankee stadium and being a power hitting catcher at just 20 yrs old makes him a no doubt top 3 prospect to own.

3. Desmond Jennings, OF, Rampage, (Preseason Rank: 8) With Carl Crawford hitting free agency it looks inevitable that Jennings will take his place in the TB outfield. While his power is up for debate (3 HR’s in 97 games in a homer friendly Durham), he should hit for a high average and provide plenty runs and steals atop the TB lineup. The Rampage will surely take any help they can get on offense and Jennings should fit fine into “The Master Plan”. VIVA.

4. Mike Trout, OF, Bombers, (Preseason Rank: NR) Trout is easily the highest riser of any prospect in the minors for 2010. Despite being only 18 yrs old for most of the season he has a chance to be the minor league playor of the year. At two stops hes hit 340 with 8 HR’s and 52 steals and earned Brian Urlacher and Grady Sizemore comps along the way. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Trout hit the majors by the end of the 2011 with should leave both Mike Scoscia and the Bombers owner in need of new pants.

5. Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Anchormen, (Preseason Rank: 17) In the midst of his 5th consecutive season posting a sub 3 ERA in the minors, Hellickson was finally recalled by the pitching stacked Rays. To no ones surprise he’s been dominant in his first three starts and holds an ERA of 1.35 after 20 innings. Hellickson should combine with Cliff Lee and Mad Max Scherzer to form a pretty solid future rotation for the Anchormen, will all three helping to provide a good ERA and plenty of K’s on a weekly basis.

6. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Quahogs, (Preseason Rank: NR)- Moose has had an up and down minor league career since he entered the draft after high school, last year being the lowest of his lows (.250 16 HR 86 RBI .297 OBP) and this year being the highest of his highs (.320 26 HR 94 RBI .370 OBP) With the improved batting eye and resurgence of his plus power he looks like a good bet to be a very productive 3B for the Royals as early as next year.

7. Julio Teheran, SP, Quahogs, (Preseason Rank: NR) Drafted by the Quahogs as a 16 year old Teheran has really come into his own this year as a 19 year old, Teheran has gone 8-7 with a 2.36 era and 144 K’s in 126 innings, this young power arm has front of the rotation potential and should make a splash when he reaches the bigs late next year or in 2012.

8. Eric Hosmer, 1B, Monsters, (Preseason Rank: NR) Hosmer had a bad rookie campaign while suffering from vision issues last season (.241 6 HR 59 RBI), he threw some lasic on that in the offseason and the results came through crystal clear, Hosmer has been tearin up Single/Double A this year throwing up a stat line of .339 16 HR 73 RBI and .410 OBP. He’s similar to Joey Votto with his gap power and high BA and the Monsters will hope he turns into the player that Votto has become.

9. Mike Montgomery, SP, Quahogs, (Preseason Rank: NR) The Hogs got some flack for taking Monty in the 2nd rd of the 2009 prospect draft and he’s done his best to dispel those critics. After a breakout year last year posting a 2.21 ERA and 98 K’s in 110 innings, Monty has followed it up with a very strong 2010, 6-3 2.38 ERA and 76 K in 75 IP. Monty should join Teheran as a nice 1-2 punch in the future Hogs rotation.

10. Brett Wallace, 1B, Rampage, (Preseason: 15) Wallace has been bounced around a ton, both in the MLB and NKFBL but he’s found a home (for now at least) with the Astros and the Cuban Rampage. Wallace is a straight up hitter and although he may be lacking the power necessary to be a stud at 1B he should end up hitting plenty enough to be a very productive fantasy player.

11. J.P. Arencibia, C, Rampage (Preseason Rank: NR) A 2007 first round pick, Arencibia finally put on display many of the skills scouts have been raving about. His plate discipline leaves a little to be desired, as evidenced by his 34 BB in 95 AAA games this year. The power, though, is irrefutable with 31 bombs and a .639 SLG and .998 OPS at AAA. Despite his tendency to hack away, he did manage to hit .303. He looks like the answer for the Blue Jays as Catcher long-term, and should be a main stay at a thin position in the NKFBL.

12. Will Myers, C, Walnuts (Preseason Rank: NR) Another power hitting Catcher, William Myers has been putting up boner-popping numbers at High Class A as a 19 year old. Combining his two levels this season he’s hitting a robust .323 with 11 dingers and 69 RBI. He boasts a K/BB ratio of more than 1/1, and an OBP of .484 at High A ball.! Bonerific! Any time those OPS figures start with a 1 you know you’ve got a stud on your hands.

13. Randall Delgado, SP, Pigeons, (Preseason Rank: NR) Along with Teheran, Delgado gives the Braves a couple of young flame throwers at the AA level. He’s struggled a bit since being promoted, but at 20 years old he’s got plenty of time to right the ship. His numbers were eye-popping at A ball, and combined he has a K for every inning between two levels this season. He led the Carolina league in K’s with a K/BB ratio of 3.75/1. Noice.

14. Chris Carter, 1B, Ballers, (Preseason Rank: 11) At 6’5” 230 LB this guy looks as much NFL tight end as he does MLB 1B. He’ll probably never hit more that .260 at the bigs but he’ll slug the shit out of the ball. He’ll be interesting to watch next year, as I would expect he’ll win the starting job out of camp. He’s a little aged, but the Ballers will be hoping he is like a fine wine. Look for a whole heap of taters, and plenty of K’s on the side.

15. Matt Moore, SP, Walnuts, (Preseason Rank: NR) One word. Filthy. The 21 year old, Moore, has 182 K’s through 127 IP. What?! On top of that he has only walked 59. Guys at A ball just can not seem to square this dude up. Next year, and the next level should be very telling for Matt Moore, as we’ve all seen guys put up huge K numbers at A ball only to not sustain it at the higher levels. All indications on this kid though, are that he is the real deal. Looks like the Nuts could have a very nice young commodity on their hands.

16. Brett Jackson, OF, Brew Crew, (Preseason Rank: NR) Unlike his failed teammate Josh Vitters (RIP Walnuts former 1st rd pick), Brett Jackson has shown a good all around game and put together a productive 2010 season in AA. He continues to show the ability to hit for good avg (over 300 both years) to go along with Shane Victorino like pop (10 hrs 12 triples 28 doubles). Jackson will need to put up those numbers or better if he hopes to ever crack the Brew Crew lineup that will welcome back Morales, Blanks, Ellsbury and ManRam in 2011.

17. Brett Lawrie, 2B/RF, Monsters, (Preseason: NR) As a second basemen Lawrie could develop into top 5 player at the position in the future. Despite being only 20 yrs old his 2010 AA numbers have been excellent and he has far outproduced fellow 2B prospect Dustin Ackley. The problem is whether Lawrie can stick at second or if he will be moved to third or the outfield starting in 2011. Either move wouldnt ruin Lawrie as a prospect but would certainly diminish his value in the NKFBL.

18. Yonder Alonso, 1B, Quahogs (Preseason Rank: 22) The talk of Alonso forcing Votto into the outfield has certainly ended and it now seems to be a question of where there is room for Alonso in Cincy. A slow start to 2010 made it a moot point until recently when he put up a line of 364/449/568 with 3 hr’s since the all star break. While he still only has 12 HR’s on the season, a strong finish by could have him destined to the majors and the homerun friendly Great American Ballpark sometime in 2011.

19. Shelby Miller, SP, Bombers, (Preseason Rank: NR) Shelby Miller, the recent subject of a “who’d you rather”, is yet another high upside Bombers first rd pick that looks destined for the majors. Following in the footsteps of Heyward and Posey he has put up eyeopening numbers as a 19 yr old. In A ball this season he has 120 K’s and just 28 walks allowed in 91 IP to date and only sports as ERA over 3 due to a few poor opening months when he was on a strict pitch count. Miller may take longer to make the majors than other pitchers on this list but he certainly looks like he will join Felix, Ubaldo and Kershaw in the Bombers rotation.

20. Tyler Matzek, SP, Ballers, (Preseason Rank: NR) The sixth pick in last years prospect draft spent the year in A ball just like Miller. In his first 15 starts he.holds an ERA under 3 and a 1/1 K/BB ratio. However like most young pitchers he’s struggled to find consistency and has given out 51 free passes in just 78 innings. The Rockies and Ballers will almost certainly need to give him 1 or 2 more seasons in the minors to work on that control. When he does make the majors he’ll join Garza and anyone else the rebuilding Ballers decide to keep around.

21. Aroldis Chapman, SP, Rampage, (Preseason Rank: NR) The Cuban lefty arguably has more potential than anyone on this list but he’s still adjusting to the strike zone. He’s put up some impressive numbers in his first year in America, going 8-6 with a 3.74 era and 116 K’s in 91 IP, although he also has 52 walks in that time. If he can harness that control without losing too much off of his stuff he’ll be a top of the rotation starter on a Rampage roster full of them.

22. Martin Perez, SP, Walnuts, (Preseason Rank: 14) After a 2009 that saw Perez post a 2.90 ERA and 119 K’s in 114 IP Perez flew his way up the prospect rankings and drew Johan Santana comparisons, in 2010 he’s taking a huge leap backward. Perez has posted a 5.87 ERA and opponents are hitting .285 against him. If Perez can rediscover his 2009 self he can be a top of the rotation starter, if not he’s looking more like a power lefty from the pen.

23. Miguel Sano, 3B, Monsters, (Preseason Rank: NR) Sano’s writeup in the handbook had most of the NKFBL drooling. KOB scooped him up at the end of the 1st round and at the age of 17 he’s more than holding his own in Rookie ball. Sano has hit .316 with 6 homers and a .392 OBP. Sano has oodles of potential and although he’s a long ways away he looks like he could cash in on that potential.

24. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Benders (Preseason Rank: NR) Freeman has consistently been one of the Braves best minor league bats and nothing has changed this year, he’s hitting .311 with 16 HR and 75 RBI. He’s a poor man’s Brett Wallace and just like Wally it’ll be his power that will make or break him as an impact fantasy bat, will he be Lyle Overbay or Mark Tiexiera?

25. Matt Davidson, 3B, Pandas (Preseason Rank: NR) He may look like a Chauncey but the guy mashes. This season as a 19 year old in Class A he’s putting up this statline .292 BA 16 HR 79 RBI and a .374 OBP. The guy can hit, and although he’s still 2 or 3 years away from making an impact in the NKFBL, it looks like it may be a dynamic one.



Next Fifteen - Fifteen more names strongly considered:

1. Aaron Hicks, OF, Pandas Hicks has that power/speed potential that everyone in the NKFBL craves. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but they are solid. The .394 AVG is particularly nice, but temper those expectations at the MLB level b/c this is only A ball. His last 10 (as of 8/16/10) though, are quite nice with a .352 AVG and a .982 OPS. He has drawn comparisons to a young Torii Hunter, another former Twins prospect. He’s got 30/30 potential, but will need to start showing more signs of it to keep those hopes alive. At the time he was drafted he also boasted a fastball off the mound that was clocked as high as 97 mph. Just sayin’. Closer of the futurrrrrre? Haha

2. Dustin Ackley, OF, Pigeons Count me in as one of the haterade drinkers on this guy. The move to 2B is nice because it is perennially a thin position, but I’ve never much liked this guy. Coming out of college he was highly touted as a hit machine, but didn’t look like he’d ever develop power. If you don’t have it with an aluminum bat will you ever? He is already at AAA and shouldn’t have much blocking his way in Seattle. His .778 MiLB OPS isn’t giving the Pigeons any signs of a bright future for the next Chase Utley.

3. Jacob Turner, SP, Anchormen Loved this guy coming out of the draft. Boasts a couple plus pitches and a nice projectable frame - to use some scout terminology. Detroit has done well recently in turning out pitchers, mainly Verlander and Porcello and Turner was rumored to be more advanced than both. His K numbers have dropped dramatically (from 51 in 54 IP to 30 in 41 IP) since moving to advanced Class A. He’ll need to regain that form if he hopes to be an ace in the making. Only 19 years old.

4. Zach Wheeler SP Ballers Zack Attack is only 20 years old, but looks poised to be another great arm in the foggy bay area. The Ballers hope he can make their future a little less cloudy. His 3.89 ERA and 52 K in 41 IP are a good sign. Perhaps most impressive...he’s allowed 0 HR so far in his minor league career.

5. Simon Castro SP Anchormen This guy looks intimidating. Like maybe he’d hang out with Ben Roethlisberger in some seedy Pittsburgh night clubs. Anyway...his stuff is intimidating as well. And in AA he is holding his own. With a sub-3 ERA and a BAA of .221 he looks well on his way to big league success. He might want to up the K numbers to get into that Ace or at least solid #2 stratosphere, but he could be a nice addition to the Anchormen staff in a couple years...especially if he sticks in San Diego.

6. Arodys Vizcaino, SP, Brew Crew Despite being only 19 yrs old Vizcaino reached high A ball in 2010 and joined a stacked Myrtle Beach rotation that included top 10 prospect Julio Teheran. While he struggled initially before getting hurt he has dominated the lower minors to this point showing good K/BB ratios and limited his HR’s allowed (3 allowed in the past 2 yrs). More experience seems to be the only thing Vizcaino is missing and he certainly seems to have the ability to develop into a top of the rotation start for the Braves and the Crew.

7. Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B, Anchormen It’d be hard to argue that Chisenhall has lived up to the expectations the Anchormen had when they drafted him 5th overall in last years prospect draft. As a 21 yr old in AA he has put up a pedestrian stat line of 270/339/444 with 15 HR’s. Even with a good K/BB ratio it’s hard to see Chisenhall developing into more than a Brandon Inge type player in majors and it’s more than likely that he’ll end up in the first round prospect bust pile with Josh Vitters.

8. Logan Morrison, 1B, Ballers Thoughout the minors Morrison has shown the ability to hit for average but has failed to prove that he will develop the ability to put up legit 1B type power. Since his 24 HR output in 2007 he has only been able to muster 27 more HR’s in over 280 games. That type of power will get you Casey Kotchman comps all day long in the NKFBL and could give Morrison a better chance at landing on the wavier wire than on the Ballers keeper list.
9. Ryan Kalish OF Walnuts Kalish is mostly known in the NKFBL for the season ending hit he laid on Monsters Catcher Carlos Santana in one of the first games after his recall. Despite how great that was he’s actually done a pretty solid job for Sox in a part time role where he’s hit over 300 with 2 big HR’s vs the Yankees an Angels. His big season in AAA (294 with 13 HR’s and 25 steals in two stops) give reason to think that his hot start might not be a Brennan Boesch like fluke. .

10. Gary Sanchez C Carbombs-The Carbombs system might be light on prospects right now but it certainly looks like 17 yr old Gary Sanchez could develop into a stud. As one of the youngest players in Rookie Ball he ranks 1st or 2nd in the league in all triple crown categories after just 30 games (most players have played 40-45). Sanchez should push to make the top 25 sometime next year despite being years away.

11. Wilmer Flores, SS, Benders- Flores is only 19 but he’s already a seasoned vet of the minor leagues. In his 3 years of minor league ball he’s put up good batting averages and shown a solid eye at the plate, his projectable power is still just that, projectable. He’s still got a ton of time to develop that power and from the looks of his scouting report he will.

12. Casey Kelly, SP, Pigeons- Kelly was a two way player until last year when the Sox decided to groom him as a pitcher. For someone who just started focusing on pitching he is rather advanced, able to control 3 pitches. His 2010 campaign hasn’t been nearly as good as his 2009 campaign but at 21 he’s still got the time and the upside to become a valuable member of the Sox, and Pigeons’ already deep rotations.

13. Kyle Gibson, SP, Brew Crew- His injury past scared off some teams in the NKFBL draft but the Brad used his golden touch and nabbed Gibson at the end of the second round. He has the upside of a Wheeler/ Turner who went a little earlier and is showing off some of his good stuff already, he’s posted a 11-6 record with a 3.04 ERA and 118 K’s vs 36 BB in 142 innings.

14. Dellin Betances SP Carbombs The player that was mysteriously forgotten by the Ballers when the Oswalt trade was consummated has finally broken through in 2010. Knapp drafted him way back in the 1st prospect draft as a 17 year old and he’s battled through inconsistency and injury to post a 1.61 ERA this season with 82 K and 18 BB in 67 Innings as a Starter in Class A. He’s still a few years off and at 22 he’s a little old for his level but look for him to shoot through the minors quickly if he keeps this up.

15. Dee Gordon, SS, Walnuts Devarias slipped big time in the NKFBL draft and was nabbed by the Walnuts and he hasn’t disappointed so far. The known speedster has put together a real nice 2010 campaign, hitting .285 with 47 steals. Gordon is coming off a 2009 where he hit 301 and nabbed 73 bases so the speed and average is there. He could develop into a Juan Pierre at short stop, which definitely has some value in the NKFBL

Dropped Out of the Top 25:
Kyle Drabek, SP, Ballers, (Preseason Rank: 16)
Jarrod Parker, SP, Pandas, (Preseason Rank: 18)
Fernando Martinez, OF, Bombers, (Preseason Rank: 18)
Todd Frazier, 3B, Walnuts, (Preseason Rank: 21)
Ryan Westmoreland, OF, Bombers, (Preseason Rank: 22)
Logan Morrison, 1B, Ballers, (Preseason Rank: 24)


Graduated From the Top 25:
Jason Heyward, OF, Bombers, (Preseason Rank: 1)
Carlos Santana, C, Monsters, (Preseason Rank: 3)
Brian Matusz, SP, Ballers, (Preseason Rank: 4)
Neftali Feliz, CL, Benders, (Preseason Rank: 5)
Michael Stanton, OF, Monsters, (Preseason Rank: 6)
Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Benders, (Preseason: 7)
Justin Smoak, 1B, Quahogs, (Preseason: 9)
Buster Posey, C, Bombers, (Preseason: 10)
Madison Bumgarner, SP, Rampage, (Preseason: 12)
Alcedis Escobar, SS, Anchormen, (Preseason: 25)


Breakdown of Players by Team for the Top 25:
Monsters 5
Quahogs 4
Rampage 4
Walnuts 3
Bombers 2
Ballers 2
Pigeons 1
Anchormen 1
Pandas 1
Brew Crew 1
Benders 1
Carbombs 0